CVE-2017-18195 : What You Need to Know

A vulnerability has been found in Concrete5 prior to version 8.3.0, allowing unauthenticated attackers to retrieve comments from all blog posts.

Understanding CVE-2017-18195

This CVE entry describes a security flaw in Concrete5 that enables unauthorized access to comments on blog posts.

What is CVE-2017-18195?

The vulnerability exists in the file tools/conversations/view_ajax.php in Concrete5 versions before 8.3.0. Attackers can exploit this issue by sending POST requests to a specific URL with increasing 'cnvID' integers.

The Impact of CVE-2017-18195

By exploiting this vulnerability, attackers without authentication can retrieve comments from all blog posts, potentially exposing sensitive information.

Technical Details of CVE-2017-18195

This section provides detailed technical information about the CVE.

Vulnerability Description

An unauthenticated user can enumerate comments from all blog posts by POSTing requests to /index.php/tools/required/conversations/view_ajax with incremental 'cnvID' integers.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Concrete5
Versions affected: Prior to 8.3.0

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers exploit the vulnerability by sending POST requests to /index.php/tools/required/conversations/view_ajax with increasing 'cnvID' integers.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protect your systems from CVE-2017-18195 with the following steps:

Immediate Steps to Take

Upgrade Concrete5 to version 8.3.0 or later to mitigate the vulnerability.
Monitor and restrict access to the vulnerable file.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update and patch software to prevent known vulnerabilities.
Implement strong authentication mechanisms to restrict unauthorized access.

Patching and Updates

Ensure timely installation of security patches and updates to address vulnerabilities and enhance system security.